DURHAM -- Durham County is kicking in some $21,000 to help build a flying disc golf course in southwest Durham County.

The Open Space and Trails Commission grant will pay for half of the course in Leigh Farm Park. The other half will come from the Durham Orange Recreational Disc Golf Association.

"I used to live by Cornwallis Road Park, and used to walk the disc golf course," said Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Ellen Reckhow. "The courses are good for walking as well as disc golf. It was a nice walk."

The Leigh Farm course will be one of three in Durham. The others are at Cornwallis Road Park and Valley Springs Park in northern Durham.

Chapel Hill also has a course at UNC.

Sometimes called Frisbee golf, disc golf involves players throwing discs into targets or baskets. It uses much the same terminology and rules as regular golf, and typically has 18 holes. It's unclear who began the sport, but some say forms of it were played as early as 1900.

The open space grant program, meanwhile, allows people and organizations to apply for grants that will preserve or enhance Durham's natural environment. The county will match an organization's contribution to a project.

Commissioner Lewis Cheek was skeptical of the amount of money being given for the course.

"I have to question $21,390 for disc golf," he said. "I have a hard time voting for that."

County officials said the sport is popular and that equipment, such as baskets and discs, is designed to last for years. Locally, the Bull City Disc Club, which has several dozen members, sponsors tournaments.

Leigh Farm Park is between Interstate 40 and New Hope Creek.

The county is also awarding a $13,800 open space grant to Asbury Methodist Preschool for a new playground, $31,000 to Central Park School for Children for play equipment for Old North Durham Park and $600 to Keep Durham Beautiful Inc. for a 1/4 mile nature trail at Holt School Road Park.

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